If 48 hours is all you have in Monaco, prepare to let yourself be swept into a little world where glamour and elegance feel second nature
Monaco, that radiant jewel between the Mediterranean’s blue embrace and the golden cliffs of the Riviera, has a way of making every moment feel precious. Consider this not just an itinerary, but a personal invitation to savour perfection in small doses because two days here will never feel enough. You’ll leave with a desire to return, to sink deeper into its rarefied charm.
Day one: Arrive in style
Your arrival should be nothing short of spectacular. Picture yourself boarding Monacair’s sleek helicopter at Nice’s airport. In just seven minutes you cross a world, gliding above the sparkling Côte d’Azur with the Alps etched against the horizon. It’s the kind of cinematic arrival that makes you hum a James Bond theme without realising it.
On the ground, a chauffeur awaits to usher you into Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, an icon of elegance since 1864. Its storied halls have hosted monarchs, film stars, and legends of every era. Today, they welcome you into the same timeless grandeur.
Monaco’s mystique was forever sealed the day Grace Kelly married her prince. Staying in the Princess Grace Suite, you’re surrounded by her spirit: personal artefacts, a grand piano, a private library, and sweeping views stretching from Italy to the Mediterranean. With a butler attentive to every detail, sipping vintage champagne here feels less like indulgence and more like inhabiting a dream.
As evening falls, descend into the hotel’s hidden wine cellars, an underground cathedral of 350,000 bottles. A candlelit table awaits amid history itself, where Alain Ducasse’s haute cuisine is paired with vintages chosen just for you by the sommelier. It is not simply dinner; it is a dialogue between taste, heritage, and legend.
Day two: Art, sea, and indulgence
The morning invites you into a rarer sanctuary: the Francis Bacon MB Art Foundation. Tucked into a Belle Époque villa, it is the creation of Majid Boustany, who is also co-owner of the legendary Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo. With more than 3,500 treasures, including the world’s largest ensemble of Bacon’s early works, the Foundation opens a door into one of the 20th century’s most enigmatic minds. If you’re lucky, Boustany or a resident curator will guide you through, layering context with intimacy.
From there, the Riviera beckons. A superyacht awaits in Port Hercule, champagne chilled, and caviar gleaming on ice. Whether you choose to plunge into turquoise waters, stretch out for a massage courtesy of Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo, or skim the sea on a seabob, the hours drift by with a salt-scented ease.
Back on land, slide behind the wheel of a classic Ferrari or Jaguar E-Type, engines humming as you wind along the corniche roads with Monaco glittering below. Every turn is a photograph; every stop, a memory.
By night, elegance takes centre stage. The exquisite Opéra Garnier Monte-Carlo, with its frescoed ceiling and golden foyer, sets the stage for opera or ballet at its most enchanting. Champagne in hand, you mingle with artists in an atmosphere that feels both exclusive and timeless.
And then, as if the evening were not charmed enough, Casino de Monte-Carlo opens its storied salons until dawn. Beneath crystal chandeliers and ornate ceilings, you play in the same rooms that inspired Ian Fleming and hosted the world’s elite. This is Monaco at night: exquisite, extravagant, and unforgettable.
